Personal authentication system, apparatus and method

Abstract

A remote authentication system for authenticating remotely located users of authenticable communication devices, comprises a device authenticator for obtaining an authenticated device identity, a user authenticator for obtaining a personal biometric measure from voice transmitted from the communication device by the user, and a database of biometric measures and device identities for allowing the personal biometric measure received at the user authenticator to be related via the communication device identity to a prestored personal biometric measure of a legitimate user of the authenticable communication device, thereby to authenticate the user. A preferred biometric measure is a voice print and a preferred communication device is a mobile telephony device, whose device identity or CLI is authenticated upon log-in. Authentications can be user initiated or center initiated and do not require specialized equipment at the point of authentication.

1 . A remote authentication system for authenticating remotely located users of authenticable communication devices, comprising: 
 a device authenticator for obtaining an authenticated device identity of said authenticable communication device,    a user authenticator for obtaining a personal biometric measure from voice-transmitted from said communication device by said user,    a database of biometric measures and device identities for allowing the personal biometric measure received at the user authenticator to be related via the communication device identity to a prestored personal biometric measure of a legitimate user of said authenticable communication device, thereby to authenticate said user, and    an authentication output for producing a verifiable signal indicating successful authentication.    
   
   
       2 . The remote authentication system of  claim 1 , wherein said authenticable communication device is a mobile telephone and said authenticated device identity is a caller line identification (CLI).  
   
   
       3 . The remote authentication system of  claim 1 , wherein said biometric measure is a voiceprint.  
   
   
       4 . The remote authentication system of  claim 1 , wherein said user authenticator comprises a comparator configured to compare said received personal biometric measure with a plurality of stored measures including that of said legitimate user, to determine whether that of said legitimate user has a lower delta than said other measures, thereby to authenticate said user.  
   
   
       5 . The remote authentication system of  claim 1 , wherein said user authenticator comprises a comparator configured to compare said received biometric measure with at least said prestored biometric measure of said legitimate user using at least two independent authentication algorithms, said comparator being configured to indicate successful authentication only if both of said algorithms give a positive recognition.  
   
   
       6 . The remote authentication system of  claim 1 , further comprising a financial transaction token, wherein said authentication output is configured to provide a transaction code upon successful authentication to enable use of said token.  
   
   
       7 . The remote authentication system of  claim 6 , wherein said transaction code comprises an electronic signature.  
   
   
       8 . The remote authentication system of  claim 6 , wherein said transaction code comprises an RSA cryptosystem public and private key complex.  
   
   
       9 . The remote authentication system of  claim 1 , wherein said authenticable communication device is a land line telephone and said authenticated device identity is a caller line identification (CLI) authenticated by its physical connection.  
   
   
       10 . The remote authentication system of  claim 6 , wherein said transaction code is associated with a time out value or specific transaction number.  
   
   
       11 . A remote authentication system for authenticating remotely located users of identifiable devices, comprising: 
 a device authenticator for obtaining an identity of a user associated device,    a user authenticator for obtaining a personal biometric measure from voice transmitted via a communication device by said user,    a database of biometric measures and device identities for allowing the personal biometric measure received at the user authenticator to be related via the device identity to a prestored personal biometric measure of a legitimate user of said user associated device, thereby to authenticate said user, and    an authentication output for producing a verifiable signal to indicate successful authentication.    
   
   
       12 . The remote authentication system of  claim 11 , wherein said user associated device is also said communication device and said device identity is a caller line identification (CLI).  
   
   
       13 . The remote authentication system of  claim 11 , wherein said user associated device is a transaction token.  
   
   
       14 . The remote authentication system of  claim 11 , wherein said user associated device is a vehicle.  
   
   
       15 . The remote authentication system of  claim 14 , wherein a plurality of users are associated with said vehicle, each of said plurality of users having a separate prestored biometric measure associated with said vehicle in said database.  
   
   
       16 . The remote authentication system of  claim 11 , wherein said biometric measure is a voiceprint.  
   
   
       17 . A method of remote authentication of a user, comprising: 
 obtaining an identity of an identifiable device,    obtaining from a database an identity of a user associated with said identifiable device,    remotely obtaining from said user a biometric measure,    comparing said obtained biometric measure with a prestored biometric measure of said associated user,    authenticating said users if said biometric measures match, and    producing a verifiable signal to indicate successful authentication.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said biometric measure is a voice print.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said comparing comprises using two independent voice print algorithms for obtaining respectively independent authentications and said authenticating requires matching by both of said algorithms.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said comparing comprises overcoming noise or distortion by comparing with a plurality of additional voice prints in addition to that of said associated user.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said identifiable device is a telephony device and said identity is a caller line identification (CLI).  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said identifiable device is a mobile telephony device having a log-in procedure that includes authentication of said CLI.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said identifiable device is a transaction token.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said obtaining said biometric measure is carried out via a mobile telephony device having a CLI and a log-in procedure that authenticates its CLI.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said identifiable device is a vehicle.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of users are associated with said identifiable device.